Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Sunday, 17 August 2014
Islamic State Of Iraq And Syria - ISIS
Last week I watched a very entertaining movie; "Guardians of The Galaxy". This week Tiger Mike Naser's heads up on ISIS. These people are in their own universe and with heads forever in the clouds in self-proclamation of Universal Protector of Islam! The Malay Mail even reported that our own PM is an ISIS admirer. Or has he again put his foot in his mouth?
Labels:
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Tuesday, 29 July 2014
Deuteronomy 6:4 O Israel
So much in the news about Israel again recently. Civilians die, crimes against humanity, animals, genocide, and all the usual stuff.
I have always tried to take an impartial macro view about the situation in the middle east but I dare say, what little I know is definitely more than the average Malaysian joe.
By the way, Malaysian demographics has the average Malaysian joe being Malay and Muslim. He is brought up on anti-semitic fodder and hates Jews with a kind of passion that makes one wonder what evil the Jews have done to him personally or what Jews have done to their Arab brethren that the Arabs have not done worse to their own kind. It also boggles the mind that the average Malaysian joe has never even met a Jew in person and would not recognize a Jew even if a Jew walked up and kicked him in the ass!
The internet is the great enabler and it is so easy to do a quick study on any topic one fancies. But with socio politics and so much data, information, misinformation, disinformation, interpretations, arguments, propaganda, etc. it is not easy to obtain an impartial view on anything. The trick is to have empathy and recognize preaching to the choir content.
Nevertheless, the internet is a wonderful tool and as far as Israel is concerned more people should do their own research. That the Israeli jews make Arab leaders look bad is a given. What the former has done with arid desert land and harsh natural resource scarcity will benefit the Arabs in a "prosper thy neighbor" concept if only the Arab people can wake up. Here are some interesting videos:
What is the Israel v Palestine Conflict?
Wall Of Lies Or Truth? So easy to determine.
Jimmy Carter On Gaza
Israeli Technological Development
Agricultural Marvel
Israeli Water Tech
An Israeli Speaking For Palestinians
6 Day War; Pre-Emptive Strike
Yom Kippur War 1973 Part I
Yom Kippur War 1973 Part II
Yom Kippur War 1973 Part III
*************************************************************************
A Heads Up From Mike Naser:
Dr.David Liepert Become a fan
Canadian Muslim Leader, Spokesperson, Author and 07/25/2014 9:19 am Educator
When Israel Remembers Their Covenant, They Will Change The World
I have always tried to take an impartial macro view about the situation in the middle east but I dare say, what little I know is definitely more than the average Malaysian joe.
By the way, Malaysian demographics has the average Malaysian joe being Malay and Muslim. He is brought up on anti-semitic fodder and hates Jews with a kind of passion that makes one wonder what evil the Jews have done to him personally or what Jews have done to their Arab brethren that the Arabs have not done worse to their own kind. It also boggles the mind that the average Malaysian joe has never even met a Jew in person and would not recognize a Jew even if a Jew walked up and kicked him in the ass!
The internet is the great enabler and it is so easy to do a quick study on any topic one fancies. But with socio politics and so much data, information, misinformation, disinformation, interpretations, arguments, propaganda, etc. it is not easy to obtain an impartial view on anything. The trick is to have empathy and recognize preaching to the choir content.
Nevertheless, the internet is a wonderful tool and as far as Israel is concerned more people should do their own research. That the Israeli jews make Arab leaders look bad is a given. What the former has done with arid desert land and harsh natural resource scarcity will benefit the Arabs in a "prosper thy neighbor" concept if only the Arab people can wake up. Here are some interesting videos:
What is the Israel v Palestine Conflict?
Wall Of Lies Or Truth? So easy to determine.
Jimmy Carter On Gaza
Israeli Technological Development
Agricultural Marvel
Israeli Water Tech
An Israeli Speaking For Palestinians
6 Day War; Pre-Emptive Strike
Yom Kippur War 1973 Part I
Yom Kippur War 1973 Part II
Yom Kippur War 1973 Part III
*************************************************************************
A Heads Up From Mike Naser:
Dr.David Liepert Become a fan
Canadian Muslim Leader, Spokesperson, Author and 07/25/2014 9:19 am Educator
When Israel Remembers Their Covenant, They Will Change The World
Up here in Canada, I'm a pretty popular Muslim, even though I've been defending Israel's right to live safely and securely in God's Holy Land for as long as I've been a Muslim. More important than that though -- by far -- is the fact that no Muslim has ever been able to gainsay me even when I've addressed thousands of them at one time, because the Qur'an says (In Al-Maeda 5:20-21)
Remember Moses said to his people; "O my People! Call in remembrance the favor of Allah unto you, when he produced prophets among you, made you great, and gave you what he had not given to any other among the peoples. O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah hath assigned unto you, and turn not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown to your own ruin." because the word translated as "assigned" --Katab Allahu-- really means ordained or entrusted.
Because of that, one of the first things Muslims did when we took over the Holy Land in our very beginning was force the Christians to let the Jews back in, and whatever else you say about us, Muslims take our religion seriously. So despite politics, despite recent world history, and despite incurring the anger of much of the Muslim world, according to the Qur'an, governing God's Holy Land is your destiny.
But Israel, I'm afraid you're doing it wrong.
I know you sometimes like to think otherwise, but He didn't give you the land unconditionally. In fact, the conditions have clear from the beginning, literally, because the book they're recorded in in the Torah is titled Bereshit, which means "In The Beginning". (I hope you don't mind a little "in" joke, just to let you know I study the Torah in Hebrew: I think that's important.)
The thing is, even in English God's conditions are clear. He says (in Bereshit 18: 17-19)
Yahweh said, "Will I hide from Abraham what I do, since Abraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?
For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him."
But here's the thing.
Everything Hashem promised to Abraham is contingent on the actions of his children and his household after him. Read through it carefully and you'll see. He says "to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him."
So for everything He's said about Abraham to come to pass, you have to step up and do the right thing first. And the "right thing" is clearly linked to the well-being of the Palestinians, because of Deuteronomy 29: 10-11:
All of you are standing today in the presence of the LORD your God -- your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and all the other men of Israel, together with your children and your wives, and the aliens living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water. You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the LORD your God, a covenant the LORD is making with you this day and sealing with an oath, to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Leviticus 19:33-34:
When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 24:22:
"You are to have the same law for the alien and the native born. I am the Lord your God."
and Ezekiel 47:21-23:
"You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance," declares the Sovereign Lord.
Right now, the world is full of Christians and Muslims who'd like nothing more than to see God's promises come to pass. But honestly? I'm afraid more and more of us are giving up, and starting to wonder if you're really ever going to be the Israel God intends.
Please make no mistake: most of the support that you -- Israel -- are receiving from the U.S. and Canada and the rest of the so-called "Christian" world, much of the support that you could be receiving from the rest of the so-called "Muslim" world and ALL of the support you have been promised from God-Most-High is predicated on your becoming the Israel God meant you to be.
· When you prevent Palestinians from fishing in their own waters, and destroy their boats when they try: are you the Israel God intends?
· When you build your security perimeters on Palestinian land, and prevent Palestinian farmers from growing crops on 35 percent of their small remaining share of our world's arable land -- by shooting them when they try: are you the Israel God intends?
· When you prevent Palestinians from traveling, to study, to see our world's wonders, to visit family, to visit their own spouses: are you the Israel God intends?
· When your internal check-points force pregnant women to deliver babies on the road-side, and cause medically ill Palestinians to die without care: are you the Israel God intends?
· When your armies destroy Palestinian homes, hospitals, schools, Mosques, farms and fruit-trees in order to maintain "no-go" zones: are you the Israel God intends?
· When you restrict Palestinians to half the electricity, and a quarter of the water that an Israeli receives: are you the Israel God intends?
· When you hold onto all the land you claimed from active warfare since 1967, a crime according to International Law -- the same International Law that made you a State in the first place: are you the Israel God intends?
· When you maintain a belligerent 47-year long occupation, at the cost of tens of thousands of innocent lives lost and millions of lives lived under oppression: are you the Israel God intends?
Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is ONE: Please become the Israel God intends.
Remember Moses said to his people; "O my People! Call in remembrance the favor of Allah unto you, when he produced prophets among you, made you great, and gave you what he had not given to any other among the peoples. O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah hath assigned unto you, and turn not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown to your own ruin." because the word translated as "assigned" --Katab Allahu-- really means ordained or entrusted.
Because of that, one of the first things Muslims did when we took over the Holy Land in our very beginning was force the Christians to let the Jews back in, and whatever else you say about us, Muslims take our religion seriously. So despite politics, despite recent world history, and despite incurring the anger of much of the Muslim world, according to the Qur'an, governing God's Holy Land is your destiny.
But Israel, I'm afraid you're doing it wrong.
I know you sometimes like to think otherwise, but He didn't give you the land unconditionally. In fact, the conditions have clear from the beginning, literally, because the book they're recorded in in the Torah is titled Bereshit, which means "In The Beginning". (I hope you don't mind a little "in" joke, just to let you know I study the Torah in Hebrew: I think that's important.)
The thing is, even in English God's conditions are clear. He says (in Bereshit 18: 17-19)
Yahweh said, "Will I hide from Abraham what I do, since Abraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?
For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him."
But here's the thing.
Everything Hashem promised to Abraham is contingent on the actions of his children and his household after him. Read through it carefully and you'll see. He says "to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him."
So for everything He's said about Abraham to come to pass, you have to step up and do the right thing first. And the "right thing" is clearly linked to the well-being of the Palestinians, because of Deuteronomy 29: 10-11:
All of you are standing today in the presence of the LORD your God -- your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and all the other men of Israel, together with your children and your wives, and the aliens living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water. You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the LORD your God, a covenant the LORD is making with you this day and sealing with an oath, to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Leviticus 19:33-34:
When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 24:22:
"You are to have the same law for the alien and the native born. I am the Lord your God."
and Ezekiel 47:21-23:
"You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance," declares the Sovereign Lord.
Right now, the world is full of Christians and Muslims who'd like nothing more than to see God's promises come to pass. But honestly? I'm afraid more and more of us are giving up, and starting to wonder if you're really ever going to be the Israel God intends.
Please make no mistake: most of the support that you -- Israel -- are receiving from the U.S. and Canada and the rest of the so-called "Christian" world, much of the support that you could be receiving from the rest of the so-called "Muslim" world and ALL of the support you have been promised from God-Most-High is predicated on your becoming the Israel God meant you to be.
· When you prevent Palestinians from fishing in their own waters, and destroy their boats when they try: are you the Israel God intends?
· When you build your security perimeters on Palestinian land, and prevent Palestinian farmers from growing crops on 35 percent of their small remaining share of our world's arable land -- by shooting them when they try: are you the Israel God intends?
· When you prevent Palestinians from traveling, to study, to see our world's wonders, to visit family, to visit their own spouses: are you the Israel God intends?
· When your internal check-points force pregnant women to deliver babies on the road-side, and cause medically ill Palestinians to die without care: are you the Israel God intends?
· When your armies destroy Palestinian homes, hospitals, schools, Mosques, farms and fruit-trees in order to maintain "no-go" zones: are you the Israel God intends?
· When you restrict Palestinians to half the electricity, and a quarter of the water that an Israeli receives: are you the Israel God intends?
· When you hold onto all the land you claimed from active warfare since 1967, a crime according to International Law -- the same International Law that made you a State in the first place: are you the Israel God intends?
· When you maintain a belligerent 47-year long occupation, at the cost of tens of thousands of innocent lives lost and millions of lives lived under oppression: are you the Israel God intends?
Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is ONE: Please become the Israel God intends.
Amen
Follow Dr. David Liepert on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DrDavidLiepert
Follow Dr. David Liepert on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DrDavidLiepert
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
Like That, So How?
Hypocrisy. Hamas, Boka Haram, ISIS, Al Qaeda, Taliban, what's the difference? Their use of human shields is nothing compared to their false use of Islam as a shield. It is Islam just because they are Muslim?
Watch this joint press conference yesterday by UN SecGen Ban Ki Moon and Netanyahu.
Watch this joint press conference yesterday by UN SecGen Ban Ki Moon and Netanyahu.
Monday, 14 July 2014
More Than Meets The Eye...
Why Palestinians want this video removed from You Tube?
Thursday, 22 May 2014
Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah
We live in a country where the law has it that an accused is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. What more if the accused has been labelled the accused just because investigators are grasping at straws trying to justify their own inabilities and failings in a case that is classified a crime merely because there seems to be no other conclusion...or is there? Is the real truth being concealed by parties yet unknown and unseen?
Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah was the man at the helm of MH370 when the plane disappeared without a trace. To many at the time, it was so easy to be smug and insensitive to point to pilot suicide or complicity. All others in the plane by default became victims. My own tongue in cheek postulation was that in an absence of a wreckage, extra-terrestrials took them. Indeed, this may well be the only chance all on board could still be alive as opposed to the conspiracy theories that surfaced; dead man tells no tales! Then again, UFO!?!
It was so easy to overlook the fact that the man was living a life; as a father, a son, a husband, an uncle, an in-law, a colleague and likely, an endearing friend to many who continue to miss him. The following is a poignant video compiled by such Friends of Captain Zaharie MH370 that puts matters in perspective. Please watch and share.
Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah was the man at the helm of MH370 when the plane disappeared without a trace. To many at the time, it was so easy to be smug and insensitive to point to pilot suicide or complicity. All others in the plane by default became victims. My own tongue in cheek postulation was that in an absence of a wreckage, extra-terrestrials took them. Indeed, this may well be the only chance all on board could still be alive as opposed to the conspiracy theories that surfaced; dead man tells no tales! Then again, UFO!?!
It was so easy to overlook the fact that the man was living a life; as a father, a son, a husband, an uncle, an in-law, a colleague and likely, an endearing friend to many who continue to miss him. The following is a poignant video compiled by such Friends of Captain Zaharie MH370 that puts matters in perspective. Please watch and share.
Sunday, 18 May 2014
Teluk Intan Parliamentary By-Election
This Malaysian Malay woman...
...must beat this Malaysian Chinese man
...for the sake of a Malaysian Malaysia!
...must beat this Malaysian Chinese man
...for the sake of a Malaysian Malaysia!
Sunday, 16 March 2014
MH370 - Be Careful What You Pray For
Now the world can see EVERYTHING in Malaysia is about politics or will be politicized. However, in this case from an article in the Daily Mail, the truth is beginning to look stranger than fiction...
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
Tun Abdul Razak (11th March 1922 - 14th January 1976)
Nazir Razak's message is clear; "Sesat di Hujung Jalan, Balik ke-Pangkal Jalan." I wonder who will take heed and look back.
Remembering my father, Tun Razak
BY NAZIR RAZAK
JANUARY 14, 2014
Thirty-eight years ago today, on January 14, 1976, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein passed away in London from complications wreaked by leukemia.
Malaysia lost its prime minister. I lost my father. Malaysia was 19. I was nine.
The days immediately after were shrouded in personal sorrow and national mourning.
My four brothers and I sought to comfort our mother, while the public and heartfelt outpouring of grief throughout the country served as a resounding reminder that we were not alone in our time of tragedy.
I must confess that given my age and my father's hectic schedule, I sometimes lament the fact that he gave so much to the country, leaving too little for his family.
However, I have never wavered from being enormously proud of his selfless dedication to our young nation.
This was in the Malaysian Insider:
Remembering my father, Tun Razak
BY NAZIR RAZAK
JANUARY 14, 2014
Thirty-eight years ago today, on January 14, 1976, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein passed away in London from complications wreaked by leukemia.
Malaysia lost its prime minister. I lost my father. Malaysia was 19. I was nine.
The days immediately after were shrouded in personal sorrow and national mourning.
My four brothers and I sought to comfort our mother, while the public and heartfelt outpouring of grief throughout the country served as a resounding reminder that we were not alone in our time of tragedy.
I must confess that given my age and my father's hectic schedule, I sometimes lament the fact that he gave so much to the country, leaving too little for his family.
However, I have never wavered from being enormously proud of his selfless dedication to our young nation.
Together, on his last Hari Raya. – Pic courtesy of Datuk Seri Mohd Nazir Razak. |
I did not get the time to know him. But imprinted in me are the values he imparted, the integrity that he insisted upon, above all. Yes, above all, including his family.
I recall the time when my brothers and I approached him one evening and asked that a swimming pool be built at Seri Taman, the prime minister's residence where we lived.
The lawyer that he was, he insisted that we make our case with logical and rational arguments. We did so, and thought we had presented the argument pretty well, until we noticed his face had started to darken, and the eyes flashed with annoyance.
My father made it abundantly clear that while Seri Taman may be our home, the house belonged to the government and, hence, to the people.
Anything spent on it would have to come from public funds, and there was no way he was going to allow the state coffers to be depleted on something as frivolous as a swimming pool.
"What will the people think?" he thundered.
In my years of growing up, I actively sought to hear from people who knew my father well, including those who had worked with him in government, politics, the Merdeka movement and so on as well as his personal friends.
It was my only way of getting to know him. What stood out for me was that in almost every conversation I had about him, the qualities they always referenced were his values.
As the custodian of the nation's coffers, his frugality was legendary.
"You had to account for every cent, or he would be on your back," one former minister told me.
Well, I knew that already. Not just from the swimming pool episode, but many anecdotes.
My elder brothers often talk about one of the rare opportunities they had to accompany him on an official trip to Switzerland.
He made sure he paid their expenses himself, he was so careful with the cost of the trip to the government that he moved his whole entourage to a cheaper hotel than originally booked, and they dined over and over again at the cheapest restaurant in the vicinity of the hotel.
And then there was his final trip to Europe in October 1975 for medical treatment. He must have known that it could well be his last trip, yet he did not allow my mother to accompany him to save his own money; probably concerned about her financial situation after his passing.
She only managed to join him weeks later on the insistence of the cabinet and with a specially approved government budget for her travel.
His integrity was another trait that came up often in conversations. He was guided by what now seems a somewhat quaint and old-fashioned concept of public service; that a public servant is first and foremost a servant of the people whose trust must never be betrayed.
The other point that kept being repeated was his stamina.
Many were later astonished to learn he had been suffering from leukemia, given that when in office, he was constantly on the move, attending to official duties, immersing himself in the minutiae of policy and, of course, his famous surprise visits to constituencies around the country that allowed him to hear directly from the people about what was happening on the ground.
Of course, few people forget to recount Tun Razak's dedication to rural development. He was "People First", long before the sound bite.
But above all, what they unanimously emphasized was Tun Razak's commitment to national unity – towards building a nation where every single one of its citizens could find a place under the Malaysian sun.
That vision was encapsulated in the two initiatives that my father spearheaded in the wake of the May 13, 1969 tragedy – the formulation of the Rukunegara in 1970 and the New Economic Policy in 1971.
The Rukunegara reconciled indigenous cultural traditions and heritage with the demands of a modern, secular state.
The NEP's goal, as outlined in the policy announcement, was the promotion of national unity to be undertaken via a massive experiment in socio-economic engineering through the twin thrusts of eradication of poverty irrespective of race and economic restructuring to eliminate identification of economic function with ethnicity.
The debate on the NEP rages on today. I myself have publicly remarked that something has gone awry in its implementation.
The fixation on quotas and the seemingly easy route to unimaginable wealth for a select few have created an intra-ethnic divide in class and status, while fuelling inter-ethnic tensions. Both these developments serve to undermine, if not completely negate, the overarching goal of Tun Razak's NEP, strengthening national unity.
What went wrong? Some have argued that the fault was affirmative action itself. For me, it was because its implementation was skewed by the focus on the tactical approach rather than the commitment to the strategic goal.
The NEP has certainly helped eradicate poverty and reduced economic imbalances by spawning a Malay middle class.
However, in terms of the larger vision, the best that can be said about the NEP is that it initially helped blunt the edges of racial conflict in the aftermath of May 13.
Thanks in part to the NEP, Malaysia did not follow Sri Lanka, which became embroiled in decades of strife between the immigrant Tamils and the indigenous Sinhalese.
That is no small achievement. But the NEP promise of strengthening national unity has not been realised.
In fact, there are signs that inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic tensions are once again approaching worrying levels.
What can be done? There is a Malay proverb: "Sesat di Hujung Jalan, Balik ke-Pangkal Jalan." Loosely translated, it means "When one has lost one's way, one should return to the beginning."
And "the beginning" here, in my view, is the values, commitment, vision and inclusiveness demonstrated and embodied by Tun Razak.
I have mentioned earlier the remarks about his integrity, commitment to the concept of public service and his vision of a progressive, prosperous and united Malaysia. But let me close here by emphasising two other highlights of his legacy.
One, he was a true democrat. Two years after running the country as head of the National Operations Council, he disbanded the committee and restored democratic rule.
He held virtually dictatorial power as the NOC chief, but his worldview and values rested on a foundation of democratic rule, not dictatorship. His decision-making style exemplified this as well: he brought in all who needed to be involved and engaged in a consultative discussion before any major decision was adopted.
He never excluded those with contrarian views, he encouraged multiplicity of opinions in order to have the best chance of making a right final decision.
Two, while he was committed to helping improve the material quality of life for the majority Bumiputeras to avert another "May 13", he viewed this as a national prerogative rather than a racial one. That, to me, explains his determination to involve Malaysia's best and brightest in this quest, regardless of their racial or ethnic origin.
Just check out those who served him and his administration back then. They were and are, Malaysians all, united in their determination to rebuild this nation from the ashes of May 13.
That was Tun Razak's legacy to Malaysia. We can best honour it by returning to "Pangkal Jalan". – January 14, 2014.
* Datuk Seri Mohd Nazir Razak is the son of the second prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak, and a brother of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. He is managing director and chief executive of the CIMB group.
I recall the time when my brothers and I approached him one evening and asked that a swimming pool be built at Seri Taman, the prime minister's residence where we lived.
The lawyer that he was, he insisted that we make our case with logical and rational arguments. We did so, and thought we had presented the argument pretty well, until we noticed his face had started to darken, and the eyes flashed with annoyance.
My father made it abundantly clear that while Seri Taman may be our home, the house belonged to the government and, hence, to the people.
Anything spent on it would have to come from public funds, and there was no way he was going to allow the state coffers to be depleted on something as frivolous as a swimming pool.
"What will the people think?" he thundered.
In my years of growing up, I actively sought to hear from people who knew my father well, including those who had worked with him in government, politics, the Merdeka movement and so on as well as his personal friends.
It was my only way of getting to know him. What stood out for me was that in almost every conversation I had about him, the qualities they always referenced were his values.
As the custodian of the nation's coffers, his frugality was legendary.
"You had to account for every cent, or he would be on your back," one former minister told me.
Well, I knew that already. Not just from the swimming pool episode, but many anecdotes.
My elder brothers often talk about one of the rare opportunities they had to accompany him on an official trip to Switzerland.
He made sure he paid their expenses himself, he was so careful with the cost of the trip to the government that he moved his whole entourage to a cheaper hotel than originally booked, and they dined over and over again at the cheapest restaurant in the vicinity of the hotel.
And then there was his final trip to Europe in October 1975 for medical treatment. He must have known that it could well be his last trip, yet he did not allow my mother to accompany him to save his own money; probably concerned about her financial situation after his passing.
She only managed to join him weeks later on the insistence of the cabinet and with a specially approved government budget for her travel.
His integrity was another trait that came up often in conversations. He was guided by what now seems a somewhat quaint and old-fashioned concept of public service; that a public servant is first and foremost a servant of the people whose trust must never be betrayed.
The other point that kept being repeated was his stamina.
Many were later astonished to learn he had been suffering from leukemia, given that when in office, he was constantly on the move, attending to official duties, immersing himself in the minutiae of policy and, of course, his famous surprise visits to constituencies around the country that allowed him to hear directly from the people about what was happening on the ground.
Of course, few people forget to recount Tun Razak's dedication to rural development. He was "People First", long before the sound bite.
But above all, what they unanimously emphasized was Tun Razak's commitment to national unity – towards building a nation where every single one of its citizens could find a place under the Malaysian sun.
That vision was encapsulated in the two initiatives that my father spearheaded in the wake of the May 13, 1969 tragedy – the formulation of the Rukunegara in 1970 and the New Economic Policy in 1971.
The Rukunegara reconciled indigenous cultural traditions and heritage with the demands of a modern, secular state.
The NEP's goal, as outlined in the policy announcement, was the promotion of national unity to be undertaken via a massive experiment in socio-economic engineering through the twin thrusts of eradication of poverty irrespective of race and economic restructuring to eliminate identification of economic function with ethnicity.
The debate on the NEP rages on today. I myself have publicly remarked that something has gone awry in its implementation.
The fixation on quotas and the seemingly easy route to unimaginable wealth for a select few have created an intra-ethnic divide in class and status, while fuelling inter-ethnic tensions. Both these developments serve to undermine, if not completely negate, the overarching goal of Tun Razak's NEP, strengthening national unity.
What went wrong? Some have argued that the fault was affirmative action itself. For me, it was because its implementation was skewed by the focus on the tactical approach rather than the commitment to the strategic goal.
The NEP has certainly helped eradicate poverty and reduced economic imbalances by spawning a Malay middle class.
However, in terms of the larger vision, the best that can be said about the NEP is that it initially helped blunt the edges of racial conflict in the aftermath of May 13.
Thanks in part to the NEP, Malaysia did not follow Sri Lanka, which became embroiled in decades of strife between the immigrant Tamils and the indigenous Sinhalese.
That is no small achievement. But the NEP promise of strengthening national unity has not been realised.
In fact, there are signs that inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic tensions are once again approaching worrying levels.
What can be done? There is a Malay proverb: "Sesat di Hujung Jalan, Balik ke-Pangkal Jalan." Loosely translated, it means "When one has lost one's way, one should return to the beginning."
And "the beginning" here, in my view, is the values, commitment, vision and inclusiveness demonstrated and embodied by Tun Razak.
I have mentioned earlier the remarks about his integrity, commitment to the concept of public service and his vision of a progressive, prosperous and united Malaysia. But let me close here by emphasising two other highlights of his legacy.
One, he was a true democrat. Two years after running the country as head of the National Operations Council, he disbanded the committee and restored democratic rule.
He held virtually dictatorial power as the NOC chief, but his worldview and values rested on a foundation of democratic rule, not dictatorship. His decision-making style exemplified this as well: he brought in all who needed to be involved and engaged in a consultative discussion before any major decision was adopted.
He never excluded those with contrarian views, he encouraged multiplicity of opinions in order to have the best chance of making a right final decision.
Two, while he was committed to helping improve the material quality of life for the majority Bumiputeras to avert another "May 13", he viewed this as a national prerogative rather than a racial one. That, to me, explains his determination to involve Malaysia's best and brightest in this quest, regardless of their racial or ethnic origin.
Just check out those who served him and his administration back then. They were and are, Malaysians all, united in their determination to rebuild this nation from the ashes of May 13.
That was Tun Razak's legacy to Malaysia. We can best honour it by returning to "Pangkal Jalan". – January 14, 2014.
* Datuk Seri Mohd Nazir Razak is the son of the second prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak, and a brother of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. He is managing director and chief executive of the CIMB group.
Wednesday, 6 November 2013
The Pathan Wars?
This article in today's Malaysian Insider is interesting as it may seem that things are boiling to the surface in the very convoluted and complicated world of seedy Malaysian politics. If it is agreed that there is no smoke without a fire, then this MI article is not mere smoke but the first flames that are appearing on the surface of what is covering a conflagration raging below. It has been smoking for some time now. Though not mentioned in the MI article as yet, it probably will impact Sabah UMNO politics with the pathan at the helm. It appears "The Land Beneath The Wind" holds much history and many conspiracies. Please read:
Attorney General’s position under threat? Reportedly in Dr M camp’s sights
BY ZULKIFLI SULONG AND V. ANBALAGAN
NOVEMBER 06, 2013
LATEST UPDATE: NOVEMBER 06, 2013 04:01 PM

NOVEMBER 06, 2013
LATEST UPDATE: NOVEMBER 06, 2013 04:01 PM
Abdul Gani Patail's alleged misconducts were reportedly discussed in the meeting attended by Dr Mahathir, Mat Zain and Shafee. - The Malaysian Insider pic, November 6, 2013.Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail's position as the Attorney General appears under threat as reports and sources say former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has met several people to discuss the top government lawyer's misdeeds.
The speculation is based on a meeting attended by Dr Mahathir, former Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigations Department director Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim and prominent lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.
News portal Malaysiakini reported that three months ago, Mat Zain received a surprise phone call from Shafee to attend the meeting.
The report revealed that Mat Zain met Shafee at the lawyer's office-cum-residence in Bukit Tunku on August 10, three days after Hari Raya.
The two was said to have discussed Gani's alleged “misconducts”, as well as the highly-publicised case on Pulau Batu Puteh - the island off Johor which the International Court of Justice awarded to Singapore following a legal dispute in 2008.
The news portal said Mat Zain and Shafee later met Dr Mahathir at his residence in Country Heights, Kajang, on the same day.
Present at the meeting were Dr Mahathir's former political secretary Matthias Chang and former Commercial Crimes Investigation Department director, Datuk Ramli Yusoff, who briefed the former premier over his run-ins with Gani.
Their discussion also touched on other alleged wrongdoings by the AG, including fabrication of evidence in the famous "black eye" case of 1998 involving former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Mat Zain, who was the investigating officer in that case, had informed Dr Mahathir of fabrication of evidence allegedly committed by Gani, then a senior deputy public prosecutor handling Anwar's first sodomy and power abuse case, following his dismissal from the government.
The alleged fabrication took place when Gani was said to have brought in pathologist Dr Abdul Rahman Yusoff to accuse Anwar in court of self-inflicting his injuries, contradicting medical reports.
As a result, a Royal Commission of Inquiry was set up to investigate the black-eye incident, resulting in the admission by former inspector-general of police Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor that he had beaten Anwar hours after his arrest on September 20, 1998.
In 2008, Anwar filed a police report against Gani and former police chief Tan Sri Musa Hassan, who was involved in the first sodomy case thrown at Anwar.
The accusations of fabrication and misconduct on the part of Gani and Musa were however dismissed by a three-member committee comprising retired judges formed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

The speculation is based on a meeting attended by Dr Mahathir, former Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigations Department director Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim and prominent lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.
News portal Malaysiakini reported that three months ago, Mat Zain received a surprise phone call from Shafee to attend the meeting.
The report revealed that Mat Zain met Shafee at the lawyer's office-cum-residence in Bukit Tunku on August 10, three days after Hari Raya.
The two was said to have discussed Gani's alleged “misconducts”, as well as the highly-publicised case on Pulau Batu Puteh - the island off Johor which the International Court of Justice awarded to Singapore following a legal dispute in 2008.
The news portal said Mat Zain and Shafee later met Dr Mahathir at his residence in Country Heights, Kajang, on the same day.
Present at the meeting were Dr Mahathir's former political secretary Matthias Chang and former Commercial Crimes Investigation Department director, Datuk Ramli Yusoff, who briefed the former premier over his run-ins with Gani.
Their discussion also touched on other alleged wrongdoings by the AG, including fabrication of evidence in the famous "black eye" case of 1998 involving former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Mat Zain, who was the investigating officer in that case, had informed Dr Mahathir of fabrication of evidence allegedly committed by Gani, then a senior deputy public prosecutor handling Anwar's first sodomy and power abuse case, following his dismissal from the government.
The alleged fabrication took place when Gani was said to have brought in pathologist Dr Abdul Rahman Yusoff to accuse Anwar in court of self-inflicting his injuries, contradicting medical reports.
As a result, a Royal Commission of Inquiry was set up to investigate the black-eye incident, resulting in the admission by former inspector-general of police Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor that he had beaten Anwar hours after his arrest on September 20, 1998.
In 2008, Anwar filed a police report against Gani and former police chief Tan Sri Musa Hassan, who was involved in the first sodomy case thrown at Anwar.
The accusations of fabrication and misconduct on the part of Gani and Musa were however dismissed by a three-member committee comprising retired judges formed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
It was reported that in the meeting with Mahathir, Shafee (pic, right) agreed that the appointment of the MACC committee to clear Gani and Musa was illegal.
Two months after the meeting, Mat Zain on October 7 made a statutory declaration on the matter, with copies sent to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, solicitor-general Datuk Idris Harun and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.
In August, Gani appointed Shafee to lead the prosecution team in its appeal against Anwar's acquittal in the Sodomy II charge.
Gani, 58, joined the Attorney General's Chambers in 1980 and was appointed AG in 2002.
He had come under heavy criticism from the opposition and non-governmental organisations over his handling of several high profile cases, including the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder and the cheating case involving former transport minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik.
Dr Mahathir is also said to have pressured Gani and called Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for a discussion. During the meeting, Dr Mahathir claimed that the AG's Chambers employed two CIA agents. Ahmad Zahid had agreed to probe into the claim. - November 6, 2013.
Two months after the meeting, Mat Zain on October 7 made a statutory declaration on the matter, with copies sent to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, solicitor-general Datuk Idris Harun and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.
In August, Gani appointed Shafee to lead the prosecution team in its appeal against Anwar's acquittal in the Sodomy II charge.
Gani, 58, joined the Attorney General's Chambers in 1980 and was appointed AG in 2002.
He had come under heavy criticism from the opposition and non-governmental organisations over his handling of several high profile cases, including the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder and the cheating case involving former transport minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik.
Dr Mahathir is also said to have pressured Gani and called Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for a discussion. During the meeting, Dr Mahathir claimed that the AG's Chambers employed two CIA agents. Ahmad Zahid had agreed to probe into the claim. - November 6, 2013.
Thursday, 16 May 2013
New Politics And Politicians
Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah would have made a very good Minister of Information in Najib's new cabinet. It is a pity this very forward thinking former journalist did not retain his Temerloh Paliamentary seat in GE13. One consolation is that you just can't keep a good man down for too long.
Friday, 10 May 2013
How Blatant Was Blatant?
Now lets see the evidence...
Since most people expected to see blatant cheating at the polls and seemingly that was what happened even with the watchfulness, is there any hope of securing enough evidence?
Since most people expected to see blatant cheating at the polls and seemingly that was what happened even with the watchfulness, is there any hope of securing enough evidence?
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Malaysia Needs to Get Off the Road to Mediocrity
This is from Bloomberg today.
In his bid for re-election, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has dispensed with all shame. Vote for me, he has essentially declared, or Malaysia will suffer “catastrophic ruin” and an “Arab Winter” of the kind that has undone economies from Egypt to Libya.
Both warnings are ludicrous -- signs of how worried Najib’s National Front coalition is of losing power for the first time since 1957. They speak to the desperation of a government that has come to serve itself, not Malaysia’s 29 million people. And they are emblematic of a leader whose talk of bold change hasn’t been matched by action.
Najib’s claim is this: Giving the opposition, led by former Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim, a chance to lead on May 5 would reverse all the gains Malaysia has made since the 2008 financial crisis. The economy would crater, stocks and the currency would plunge, and chaos would reign.
Change through the ballot box in a democracy should never be disruptive or chaotic, and rhetoric suggesting otherwise is disingenuous. Najib likes to say: “The time has come for Malaysians to make a decision.” Actually, the time has come for Malaysia’s government to grow up.
Najib’s scaremongering, some of which came out of an April 17 Bloomberg News interview, smacks of the re-election campaign run almost a decade ago by then U.S. President George W. Bush. Instead of this vote-for-me-or-you’re-in-danger appeal, Najib should scare up some headline-grabbing reforms that leave Malaysia better off in the future.
Developing Complacency
The country’s biggest problem is complacency. Malaysia Inc. can be a slow-moving, change-resistant animal in a very dynamic neighborhood. Nations as diverse as China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam are evolving in ways that have enabled them to leapfrog peers in a few years. They are all competing for the same infrastructure dollars, factory projects, bond deals and stock issues. Singapore, meanwhile, has become the beneficiary of many of Malaysia’s best and brightest, who have emigrated in search of a more merit-based economy.
Malaysia is a resource-rich nation with huge potential. But it remains shackled to a four-decade-old affirmative-action program -- favoring ethnic Malays -- that turns off foreign investors and undermines national productivity. This so-called New Economic Policy was devised by Najib’s father, Abdul Razak Hussein, the country’s second prime minister.
Najib, 59, has indeed rolled back some of those preferences to encourage investment. He did away with a requirement that foreign companies investing in Malaysia and locally listed businesses set aside 30 percent of their equity for ethnic Malays and indigenous peoples known as “bumiputera.” It’s time to go much further and dismantle all race-based policies.
Little Difference
When, for example, can more ethnic Chinese expect to start winning the really big government contracts? Here, Najib’s real quarrel may be with his own government. Anwar is pro-markets and pro-investment, too. When you look at the core of what Najib is promising voters -- less corruption and higher living standards -- it’s not wildly different from the opposition’s message. The trouble is, Najib is navigating a 13-party coalition whose interests are as entrenched as any in the world. His partners are pushing back quite assertively, afraid of losing the Malay vote they could once take for granted.
Money Politics
The opposition has gained traction with its claims that Malay-run companies, from power producers to toll-road operators, unfairly benefit from their ties to the government. Najib’s pledges to clamp down on crony capitalism and to instill greater transparency have been undercut by measures such as the ban on street protests that passed on his watch. Now, many voters hope to wipe the slate clean.
When he’s not trying to frighten voters, Najib is touting Malaysia’s 6.4 percent growth as proof he is a radical-change agent. In fact, much of Southeast Asia also is booming, and the government is helping to artificially fuel growth with populist handouts. Even more than the $444 billion of private sector-led projects ranging from oil storage to a mass-transit railway that Najib has championed, the country needs reforms that will revitalize the system as a whole. The government should be encouraging more startup companies, widening the tax base and hacking away at subsidies that institutionalize complacency.
All too often, rapid gross-domestic-product growth is used as a smoke screen to hide underlying cracks in an economy’s long-run potential. In Malaysia’s case, the numbers mask a government too focused on staying in power to do its job. If anything should be scaring Malaysian voters, it’s that.
(William Pesek is a Bloomberg View columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.)
In his bid for re-election, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has dispensed with all shame. Vote for me, he has essentially declared, or Malaysia will suffer “catastrophic ruin” and an “Arab Winter” of the kind that has undone economies from Egypt to Libya.
Both warnings are ludicrous -- signs of how worried Najib’s National Front coalition is of losing power for the first time since 1957. They speak to the desperation of a government that has come to serve itself, not Malaysia’s 29 million people. And they are emblematic of a leader whose talk of bold change hasn’t been matched by action.
Najib’s claim is this: Giving the opposition, led by former Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim, a chance to lead on May 5 would reverse all the gains Malaysia has made since the 2008 financial crisis. The economy would crater, stocks and the currency would plunge, and chaos would reign.
Change through the ballot box in a democracy should never be disruptive or chaotic, and rhetoric suggesting otherwise is disingenuous. Najib likes to say: “The time has come for Malaysians to make a decision.” Actually, the time has come for Malaysia’s government to grow up.
Najib’s scaremongering, some of which came out of an April 17 Bloomberg News interview, smacks of the re-election campaign run almost a decade ago by then U.S. President George W. Bush. Instead of this vote-for-me-or-you’re-in-danger appeal, Najib should scare up some headline-grabbing reforms that leave Malaysia better off in the future.
Developing Complacency
The country’s biggest problem is complacency. Malaysia Inc. can be a slow-moving, change-resistant animal in a very dynamic neighborhood. Nations as diverse as China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam are evolving in ways that have enabled them to leapfrog peers in a few years. They are all competing for the same infrastructure dollars, factory projects, bond deals and stock issues. Singapore, meanwhile, has become the beneficiary of many of Malaysia’s best and brightest, who have emigrated in search of a more merit-based economy.
Malaysia is a resource-rich nation with huge potential. But it remains shackled to a four-decade-old affirmative-action program -- favoring ethnic Malays -- that turns off foreign investors and undermines national productivity. This so-called New Economic Policy was devised by Najib’s father, Abdul Razak Hussein, the country’s second prime minister.
Najib, 59, has indeed rolled back some of those preferences to encourage investment. He did away with a requirement that foreign companies investing in Malaysia and locally listed businesses set aside 30 percent of their equity for ethnic Malays and indigenous peoples known as “bumiputera.” It’s time to go much further and dismantle all race-based policies.
Little Difference
When, for example, can more ethnic Chinese expect to start winning the really big government contracts? Here, Najib’s real quarrel may be with his own government. Anwar is pro-markets and pro-investment, too. When you look at the core of what Najib is promising voters -- less corruption and higher living standards -- it’s not wildly different from the opposition’s message. The trouble is, Najib is navigating a 13-party coalition whose interests are as entrenched as any in the world. His partners are pushing back quite assertively, afraid of losing the Malay vote they could once take for granted.
Money Politics
The opposition has gained traction with its claims that Malay-run companies, from power producers to toll-road operators, unfairly benefit from their ties to the government. Najib’s pledges to clamp down on crony capitalism and to instill greater transparency have been undercut by measures such as the ban on street protests that passed on his watch. Now, many voters hope to wipe the slate clean.
When he’s not trying to frighten voters, Najib is touting Malaysia’s 6.4 percent growth as proof he is a radical-change agent. In fact, much of Southeast Asia also is booming, and the government is helping to artificially fuel growth with populist handouts. Even more than the $444 billion of private sector-led projects ranging from oil storage to a mass-transit railway that Najib has championed, the country needs reforms that will revitalize the system as a whole. The government should be encouraging more startup companies, widening the tax base and hacking away at subsidies that institutionalize complacency.
All too often, rapid gross-domestic-product growth is used as a smoke screen to hide underlying cracks in an economy’s long-run potential. In Malaysia’s case, the numbers mask a government too focused on staying in power to do its job. If anything should be scaring Malaysian voters, it’s that.
(William Pesek is a Bloomberg View columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.)
Monday, 22 April 2013
Nurulmania
Nurul Izzah may yet again beat the odds in Lembah Pantai...
Thursday, 18 April 2013
Manifesting The Manifestos.
This is a "must watch". More so because of Rafizi than Anwar. Who needs one-sided mainstream media when we have You Tube. Spread this around; there is only one side to vote for. We deserve the government we get so GE13 is all about deciding what we deserve.
Saturday, 13 April 2013
UBAH
Time to see what change will bring...
Saturday, 6 April 2013
Another One For The Future Of Malaysia
Kashtury Patto...
Monday, 25 February 2013
Monday, 11 February 2013
Psy Wars...
Ajib Kor and gang just threw good money after bad. This time to Korea...duit masuk longkang.
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